1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a system to modernize and improve the efficiency of reactors for exothermic heterogeneous synthesis, and more particularly for the synthesis of ammonia, methanol and the like, consisting in general of an external pressure shell, of a wall forming an airspace with the shell, of a wall delimiting the catalytic beds, of catalyst baskets, of tubes for the flow of synthesis gas and of tubes for the flow of quench gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reactors for heterogeneous synthesis and more particularly for the synthesis of ammonia consist generally of a pressure shell, of a wall forming an airspace, and of a cartridge with catalytic beds.
In some cases (see Kellogg axial flow and low height/diameter H/D ratio reactors), the wall which with its external side forms the airspace with the shell, acts also with its internal face as wall delimiting the beds.
In other cases (Topsoe, for example) the wall forming an airspace is separate and distinct from the wall of the cartridge forming beds, cartridge which is this case is generally in a single piece, and monolithic, that is to say inseparable for the single beds.
In a more recent instance (Ammonia Casale system) the external wall forming the airspace is inseparable from the wall of the cartridge forming the beds and is formed by separable modular parts, each containing at least one catalyst bed.
Continuing now their research, the Applicants have surprisingly noted that the operating efficiency of these as well as of other reactors can be remarkably improved by making easily and economically achieved structural changes.